A New Life
by Athena2008
Summary: A take on what happened between Sam and Jack after Threads and before Season 9.


Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Stargate... anything... Perhaps... in time, but not yet. 

A/N: Well, I say it every time, but I am still working on "Revelations". But I did have to put my two cents in on what I thought happened after "Threads". And this is what I came up with. I often wondered why Jack didn't retire after the Goa'uld and Replicators were gone (since he had already tried twice), and this is my effort at an explanation. It goes kind of quickly, but I've never been that great at romantic scenes.

This is not meant to be an AU story. I think (okay, I hope) that Sam and Jack are together in the Stargate world that we all know and love.

I realized that in the original post, it said Daedalus, but Sam was actually on the Prometheus. So that's now fixed.

Hope you like it! I would love some feedback.

Spoilers: "Threads", and minor spoilers for Season 9.

Pairing: Sam/Jack

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_Two years earlier_

Carter and O'Neill surveyed their surroundings. They blinked a few times to ensure that they were seeing everything correctly. Assured that there was, in fact, nothing wrong with their vision, the two looked at each other in confusion.

One minute, they had been listening to Daniel as he read the writing on the wall between a massive, Ancient-made device, and the next, he and Teal'c had completely disappeared, leaving them standing together in a very empty room.

"Did he say 'alternate reality'?" O'Neill asked his second-in-command.

Carter nodded and responded, "I think so, sir."

"Ah," was all O'Neill said in response. "I didn't touch anything," he added.

Before Carter could respond, they heard rapid footsteps approaching. Both raised their P-90s in self-defense but nearly dropped their weapons in shock when, who they assumed to be, the alternate version of Carter appeared through the doorway of the room housing the Ancient device.

The alternate version of Carter was followed by alternate versions of Daniel and Teal'c. The two had their own weapons raised.

"Who are you?" alternate Carter asked.

Carter stepped in and answered after she and O'Neill relaxed their holds on their weapons. "I'm Major Samantha Carter, and this is Colonel O'Neill. We were hoping that the device that we were looking for would help us in our fight against the Goa'uld, but we believe that this machine," she indicated the Ancient device that was next to her, "transported us to an alternate reality."

Alternate Carter surveyed Carter for a moment before lowering her weapon. Carter and O'Neill did the same, as did Daniel and Teal'c. "I saw an energy spike in my readings. We were hoping it was this device. It's what we were looking for when we came here," Alternate Carter informed them.

"Our Daniel was just translating these writings on the wall when we were both suddenly transported here," Carter told the group.

"Maybe there's some kind of code word that activates the machine. I'll start working on a translation," Daniel offered.

After watching Daniel in his element for a little while, O'Neill found himself completely bored. Turning to the other Carter, he asked, "So, where am I?"

Alternate Carter raised an eyebrow but understood what O'Neill had meant. "He made General. He's at the Pentagon now," she replied.

"Really?" O'Neill asked. "Nothing like me then."

"Well, he's not that happy about it, but he wants to do what he can to help us," she replied.

"So, you're the head of SG-1?" Carter asked.

Alternate Carter nodded. "I got promoted and got command when Jack was promoted."

"Jack, huh?" O'Neill asked.

"I take it regulations are the same in your reality, then. A word of advice? When you defeat the Goa'uld, and I'm sure you will, retire," she said, directing her words at O'Neill. "They may call you back, but you'd be free to marry whomever you choose before that happens."

Carter and O'Neill were very careful not to look at one another. Each was trying to carefully suppress the thoughts and feelings that they had left unspoken for so many years because of their sense of duty, and to not feel too elated by the thought that they could potentially one day both successfully defeat the Goa'uld and enter a romantic relationship.

Daniel chose that moment to announce that he had found the code word that they would need. Carter and O'Neill retook the positions they had been standing in when the device had transported them to the alternate reality, and Daniel uttered the word.

They found themselves standing in the same room they had been in, greeted by a frantic Daniel and a concerned Teal'c.

Carter and O'Neill avoided each other on the entire trip home, Carter occupying herself with the device and O'Neill securing a perimeter as far away from the room as possible.

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* * *

Present Day_

Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter rose reluctantly from her couch as she heard her doorbell. She had been sitting; just sitting, and taking in the feeling of not having anything to worry about. No Goa'uld and no Replicators. They were gone. Although she would always have work, aiding in the development of new technologies, she still knew that the defeat of the Goa'uld and the Replicators would change her life, most likely in a positive way.

Although this new life had certainly begun with heartache. Her father's funeral and memorial service had been earlier in the week, and she had broken up with her fiancé a few days before that. But she had felt that it was the right thing to do. However horribly she felt when she thought about what she had said and done to Pete, she knew that, in the long run, they would both be happier. Or, at least, she hoped….

Carter hurried along through her front hallway as the doorbell ringing became more persistent. She threw the door open to find herself face-to-face with her commanding officer and long-time friend.

"I retired," Jack said simply.

Carter blinked a few times to ensure herself that he was really standing in front of her, as she shook her head slightly, wondering if she had actually heard him correctly.

"What?" she asked.

"I retired," he repeated.

"When?" she asked.

"Just now. It took me about three hours to convince the President that the SGC doesn't need me."

"Of course they do," she said quickly.

"The Goa'uld are gone and the Replicators are gone. And I'm ready to retire," Jack said. "Again," he added, as an afterthought.

"Congratulations," Sam said, unsure of how exactly she was supposed to respond. Internally, she was elated to hear the news. She knew what this meant for them; they could, legally, become a couple. But she did not know where exactly to start.

Jack stepped forward a bit and took Sam into his arms, planting a firm kiss on her lips. Sam wrapped her arms around his neck and returned the kiss, enjoying the feeling more than she had ever expected.

They broke apart and stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity, neither wanting to break the silence for fear of potentially waking up from a wonderful dream.

"So," Jack finally started awkwardly. "Wanna get married?" Though he showed no external signs, Jack was shocked. He hadn't meant for that question to come out. He had planned on simply asking to come inside, maybe get a cup of coffee. But he knew, subconsciously, he had wanted to ask that question for at least four years.

"What?" Sam exclaimed, completely taken aback.

Jack smiled his typical half-smile. "Well, you never know when they'll recall me. Might as well make everything official before that happens," he joked. He knew, now that he had asked, he did not want to take his question back. It was what he really wanted.

"Married?" Sam asked. "Shouldn't we go out on a normal date first?"

"Carter, nothing about us is normal," Jack observed.

"Good point." Sam smiled and responded. "Okay."

"Okay, what?" Jack asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Okay, let's get married," she answered. Sam knew that to others who did not know Jack and her well, it would seem like a hasty decision, but it had been some four years in the making. She knew that she loved Jack O'Neill, and no amount of time would change that feeling. Saying yes, even without going on a proper date, seemed right somehow, though she was certainly not the right person to explain why.

"Really?" Jack asked, a smile emerging on his face. Sam merely nodded, an equally vibrant smile appearing on hers.

Jack kissed Sam again, ecstatic that she had said yes to his abrupt question.

When they broke apart, Jack looked into his fiancé's eyes for a few moments before saying, "So, you going to invite me in?"

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Sam and Jack were married in a small ceremony a few weeks later, right before she was scheduled to transfer to Nellis and join the crew on the Prometheus, as head of Research and Development at Area 51. Although Jack would be going to Nevada with her, they knew that they would see little of each other, due to her position aboard the Prometheus.

Daniel was very happy for the couple; he actively participated in wedding plans, offering some advice on various aspects of the ceremony, based on rituals that he had experienced throughout the galaxy.

Teal'c sent his congratulations via Stargate, unsure of whether or not he would be able to return to Earth for the ceremony due to his obligations on Dakara. Though Sam and Jack were disappointed, they knew that Sam's pressing work schedule would not allow them to postpone the ceremony until Teal'c was able to come.

Cassandra was able to attend. Although she had been admitted into several colleges across the country, she had been unsure of what she really wanted to do. Losing her adopted mother had been hard on her. In some ways, it had been harder losing a mother at a stage in her life when she had devoted more time to fighting with her mother than telling her that she loved her. Still, Cassie knew that she had Sam and Jack, and she was happy that she would be an integral part of their new life together. She had taken that knowledge and found the strength to accept admission into the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs, where she intended to study and follow in her adopted mother's footsteps. Although she had enrolled very late in the summer, the school had been understanding of her situation and had welcomed someone with her standardized test scores and grades.

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Sam and Jack moved to Nevada the following week and began to settle into their new life. Jack had been allowed to keep his security clearance, and they were thus allowed to discuss what Sam was doing at work.

Three weeks after the move, Sam boarded the Prometheus along with about one hundred other crew members. She would be aboard the ship for two months, and communication between her and Jack was to be very limited. Although both were disappointed, years of being in the Air Force had prepared them for this first separation since they had been married.

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Jack cautiously followed some of White House security into the outer room of the President's office. He had been asked to come to Washington to meet with the President, and although he was not happy about, Jack was not about to refuse a meeting with the Commander-in-Chief, regardless of the fact that he was no longer in the Air Force. Truthfully, he was bored out of his skull sitting around his and Sam's Nevada apartment. Sam had been gone for almost a month and a half, and Jack had no idea what to do with himself.

The President quickly called him inside and greeted him eagerly.

Jack smiled at the man and shook the hand that had been extended to him. "Sir," he said respectfully.

"Jack, sit down," the President said, motioning for Jack to sit on the couch as he took a seat on the opposite couch. After Jack took a seat, wondering why the President seemed so chipper.

"Can I get you anything?" the President asked.

Jack blinked, not expecting the question. "No, sir. Thanks," he said politely. With a sigh, he decided to jump into the reason for this meeting. "Sir, what's this about?"

The President mimicked Jack's sigh. "Well, Jack, I can see you don't want to beat around the bush about this. We need you."

"Sir?" Jack questioned.

"These Ori. We need someone who's fought aliens before. Someone who's familiar with the Ancients," the President told him.

Jack looked on cautiously, sure that he knew where the conversation was going. He would not make it any easier for the President, however. When he had retired, he had fully intended to retire for the final time.

"We need you back, Jack. Stargate Command needs a strong leader. And we need someone who can deal with the Ancient outpost down in Antarctica," the President said.

"Sir, with all due respect, I retired. I can't just go back to the SGC now."

"We don't want you at the SGC, Jack. We want you here in Washington, heading up Homeworld Security."

"Sir, isn't that General Hammond's position?"

"General Hammond is about ready to retire. And he thinks that it's only fair that he retire before you do. He wants you to take over for him."

"Washington, though, sir? Sam's in Nevada. We barely see each other as it is."

"Come on, Jack. We can work that out. Major Generals do get some extra perks."

"Major General, sir?" Jack was shocked. He hadn't expected to hear that title ever associated with him.

"The job comes with the promotion. We can't think of anyone who's better for the job," the President replied.

"Sir, can I take a couple of weeks on this one?"

"Sure thing, Jack. I understand," the President responded with a knowing nod. He was married too, after all. "There's one more thing."

"Yes, sir?" Jack asked.

"Colonel Carter has been working on a new weapon, the Mark IX. When it's done, we might need it and her back at the SGC. If that happens and you take this job, we'd need you to keep your relationship discrete."

"Yes, sir," Jack responded.

"Well, Jack, I guess that's it. You're free to go," the President said. "We hope to hear from you soon," he added.

"Yes, sir," Jack said, standing up and shaking hands with the President once more.

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Sam returned to Earth the next week. After they had settled back in their apartment, Jack gave a sigh of resignation and decided to tell Sam off the bat about the offer the President had made.

"So," he said slowly. "The President wants to recall me to active duty again," he told her.

Sam blinked. "What?" she asked, her eyes widening.

"He wants me to take over for Hammond. With a promotion," Jack explained.

Sam nodded. "The Ori threat," she said knowingly. "They want someone experienced as Head of Homeworld Security."

"Yeah," Jack confirmed.

"Do you want the job?" Sam asked.

Jack was taken aback by the question. He hadn't actually thought about it. He had spent so much time considering Sam's feelings that he had forgotten about his own. "It would mean moving to Washington," he said, in an effort to stall confronting his own feelings.

"We can deal with that," Sam replied. "We can see each other on the weekends and downtime."

Jack sighed. "But I'm retired."

"Jack, you can't honestly tell me that you haven't been bored out of your skull at home," Sam replied with a smile playing on her lips.

"It's a desk job. Lots of paperwork," he said.

"You'll be able to keep track of the SGC. And the world needs you," Sam said.

"No, the world needs you. And they've got you," Jack responded, looking down at his hands.

"Look, Jack, you're the best we've got. The SGC and everything related to it need a leader like you," Sam said. "But, do you want the job?"

"Well…" Jack started, considering the question.

"Forget about everything else. Forget about me for a minute. If we weren't married, would you take the job?" Sam asked.

"But we are married," Jack responded.

"Come on, Jack. We don't have to be in the same city to be married. We were fine when I was on the Prometheus, and we'll be fine even if we're on opposite sides of the country," Sam reasoned. "So, forget about me for a minute. Do you want the job?"

Jack shrugged. "Sure I want it. I can't be out there anymore, but at least I could do something."

Sam smiled. "So, you're taking the job?"

Jack shrugged again. "Yeah," he replied. "I guess I'm taking the job."

Sam beamed at her husband. "Well, then, let me be the first to congratulate you on your promotion, Major General O'Neill."

"I should call the President," Jack said, still a little awestruck that he had made the decision to take the job.

"That can wait until tomorrow," Sam said. "Let's just enjoy your retirement for one more night."

"I guess that alternate version of you got it all right," Jack said.

"Yeah," Sam agreed. Leaning in a little and resting her head of her husband's shoulder, she added, "But doing is much better than dreaming."

Jack leaned over and kissed Sam in response. Then he pulled back a bit. "Washington, huh? What if I get lost?"

Sam smiled and pressed her lips against Jack's, muffling his "No, really".


End file.
